Bayard Winthrop founded American Giant in 2011 with the simple idea to sell clothes made entirely in America at a time when most apparel manufacturing had moved overseas. The first struggle was finding all the components—the cotton, the buttons, the zippers, the rivets; the next was finding people to actually do the work—the dying, the napping, the sewing and the finishing. Once Bayard did all that he ended up with his first product, a plain hooded sweatshirt. But soon after a viral article proc...
Jul 01, 2024•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 636
Sir Kensington’s co-founder and former CEO Mark Ramadan joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they work through business challenges with three early-stage founders. Today we meet Pat, a physician assistant working to bring his solution for clogged sinks to major retailers. Then Lucas, a chef whose local quick service taco joint is fending off national competition. And Beth, a working mom whose baby products brand is caught in the "messy middle" between launch and mass scale. If you’d like to be fe...
Jun 27, 2024•51 min•Ep. 635
Ronnen Harary built a 4 billion dollar toy company without relying on market research or focus groups. Instead, he believed wholeheartedly in intuition: the "ah-hah" moment that comes from thinking like a 7-year old. Over a 25-year period, he and his Spin Master partners launched innumerable hit toys and amusements, including Air Hogs, Bakugan, and the smash hit franchise PAW Patrol. Spin Master's journey began in the mid-1990s, when Ronnen and his friend Anton Rabie began selling the Earth Budd...
Jun 24, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 634
S’well founder Sarah Kauss joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders about positioning their products in competitive markets. Today we meet Chiara, a recent college grad who invented a protein-packed chickpea hot cereal. Then Jesús, who left his tech job to go all-in on a line of greeting cards inspired by his Latino heritage. And Adam, a former X Games gold medalist who launched a brand of razors for men who shave their legs. If you’d like to be f...
Jun 20, 2024•49 min•Ep. 633
Dominique Ansel’s invention of the Cronut — an inspired liaison between croissant and donut — was supposed to be a one-time indulgence for Mother’s Day. But once word spread about the perfect hybrid pastry, his Manhattan bakery was overwhelmed by endless lines and Cronut scalpers. Dominique eventually learned to manage the hype and grow his business while maintaining his craft. Named the World’s Best Pastry Chef in 2017, he has found an entrepreneurial sweet spot in three brick-and-mortar locati...
Jun 17, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 632
Bombas co-founder and Chief Brand Officer Randy Goldberg joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders about building brands and reaching new communities. Today we meet Rivky, an Orthodox Jewish woman who's redefining modest clothing for plus-size women. Then Shyam, a rocket engineer who wants to introduce Americans to a popular South Asian tabletop game. And Änna, a boutique owner who wants to translate her hip brick-and-mortar vibes into the digital ...
Jun 13, 2024•49 min•Ep. 631
Dave’s Hot Chicken began as a tiny pop-up, selling spicy chicken tenders and fries from a tent in East Hollywood. Their homemade take on Nashville Hot Chicken was an overnight sensation in a city that had barely heard of it, and within days, co-founder Arman Oganesyan and his partners were working frantically to serve the long lines out front. Since launching seven years ago, the pop-up has grown into a chain of 200 stores, with franchises across the country, and a beloved rubber chicken mascot....
Jun 10, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 630
In case you missed it, we’re rerunning our Advice Line launch episode from a few weeks ago. Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey founder Fawn Weaver joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs about telling their brand story. In this episode, we’ll meet Kevin, the owner of a coffee trailer and roastery who grew up on a coffee farm in Honduras. Then Elisabeth, whose jewelry company aims to make a difference in the developing world. And finally, Joanne, ...
Jun 06, 2024•37 min•Ep. 629
Growing up in the ‘80s in New Jersey, Marc Ecko loved hip hop, graffiti art, and painting t-shirts for friends. His passion soon bloomed into a full-on business: ECKO UNLTD, a streetwear brand known for its iconic rhino logo. By the 1990’s, the brand had become a cultural force, but not without its share of bad deals, daunting debt, and a close brush with bankruptcy. Eager to keep innovating, Marc launched COMPLEX, a media company hyper-focused on “convergence” culture: hip hop, fashion, sports ...
Jun 03, 2024•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 628
Tarte cosmetics founder and CEO Maureen Kelly joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders about their marketing strategies. Today we meet Kristina, who’s designed sweat-wicking underwear that's both functional and stylish. Then Ashley, who recently launched a line of chemical-free hair care products. And Marcelle, the owner of an international career coaching service. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute...
May 30, 2024•47 min•Ep. 627
Brothers Dick and Peter Dreissigacker used their experience as Olympic-level rowers to build a rowing machine that captured the sensation of being on the water. Initially made of bicycle parts in a Vermont barn, the machines had a limited market at first: mostly rowing clubs and schools that competed in the sport. But in the 2000’s, business began to take off when Greg Glassman, the founder of Crossfit, began putting the machines into his gyms. Today Concept2 sells rowing machines to thousands o...
May 27, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 626
Sun Bum co-founder Tom Rinks joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders about refining their brand identities. Today we meet Wendy, a former comedian whose sugar scrub takes the sticky-icky off your hands. Then Allyson, who went from producing reality television to trucker hats designed for women’s heads. And Zephyrus, an opera performer with a new way for kids to hear their favorite bedtime stories. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice L...
May 23, 2024•43 min•Ep. 625
The Theragun was born out of a late-night experiment with a Makita jigsaw, by a man searching desperately for pain relief in his arm. Jason Wersland was studying to become a chiropractor when he got injured in a motorcycle accident. While casting about for solutions, he discovered that the percussive massage from his jury-rigged power tool helped ease his pain and increase range of motion. Jason soon discovered the device worked on his patients, so he MacGyvered hundreds more jigsaws, initially ...
May 20, 2024•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 624
Orgain founder and CEO Andrew Abraham joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders about strategically positioning their products. Today we meet Brynn, who’s tackling cavities and dental anxiety with an electric flosser. Then Turner, a radiologist mixing up craft cocktails for the golf course. And Catherine, whose pasta sauces and dressings help ease the weeknight dinner juggle. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a ...
May 16, 2024•52 min•Ep. 623
When Madeline Haydon decided to turn her homemade, plant-based coffee creamer into a business, she didn’t fit the mold of a typical founder. She was a woman of color, pregnant with her second child, and had no experience in the food industry. At first, almost all of her sales were through Amazon, and she struggled to convince investors to take a risk on her. But over 10 years, she grew nutpods from a $30,000 Kickstarter campaign into a leading coffee creamer brand, now available in 15,000 stores...
May 13, 2024•57 min•Ep. 622
Clif Bar founder Gary Erickson joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders about expanding their customer base. Today we meet James, who recycles water bottles into one of the most sustainable plastics on the market. Then Valerie, a leathercrafter with a co-op of artisans born from a strike against Etsy. And finally, Elsie, who accidentally invented a pet hair remover while cleaning her dog’s muddy pawprints. If you’d like to be featured on a future ...
May 09, 2024•55 min•Ep. 621
As co-founder of Twitter and founder of Blogger and Medium, Evan Williams literally helped change the conversation: he understood that real-time connectivity—being able to write a post and have people read it seconds later—was the future of engagement online. A Nebraska farm boy who dropped out of college, Ev ran into several business failures before starting Blogger, and—after it sold to Google—launching Twitter with Jack Dorsey and others. Ev also came to learn that he understood product bette...
May 06, 2024•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 620
Former guest Pete Maldonado, co-founder and co-CEO of Chomps, joins Guy for another “Advice Line” edition of HIBT Lab. In this episode, we’ll meet Jennifer, a sourdough bagel slinger thinking about taking on 'big cream cheese.' Then Brandi, a tea shop owner hoping to bring her blends to big box retailers. And finally, Jake, an Alaska native trying to bring fresh wild salmon to Utah…even if he has to knock on every door north of Salt Lake. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line epis...
May 02, 2024•51 min•Ep. 619
Five years before he became a massively successful content creator, Dhar Mann was nearly broke and living in a studio apartment. It’s the kind of story he might tell in one of his videos: bite-sized, live-action morality tales that have earned 60 billion views across YouTube, Facebook, and other platforms. Raised in an Indian Sikh family, Dhar had a strong entrepreneurial drive, which led to early business success, but also a spectacular downfall when he got pulled into a Ponzi scheme. A few yea...
Apr 29, 2024•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 618
Former guest Fawn Weaver, founder of Uncle Nearest Whiskey, joins Guy for an “Advice Line” edition of HIBT Lab. Three early-stage entrepreneurs call in for advice on telling their brand story. In this episode, we’ll meet Kevin, the owner of a coffee trailer and roastery who grew up on a coffee farm in Honduras. Then Elisabeth, whose jewelry company aims to make a difference in the developing world. And finally, Joanne, a home baker looking to turn her love of pecan pie into a full-time business....
Apr 25, 2024•37 min•Ep. 617
With over 14.5 million subscribers, Rosanna Pansino has one of the most popular baking channels on YouTube But she never would have imagined her success back in 2010 when she started making videos as a hobby. At the time, she was a working actor in Hollywood with dreams of landing a leading role, but after receiving an ultimatum from her agent, she was forced to choose between a career in traditional television or the nascent digital world of YouTube. More than a decade after her fateful choice,...
Apr 22, 2024•1 hr•Ep. 616
Growing up, Danielle Walker’s family often convened for big meals prepared by her Italian grandmother, Grandma Marge. Back then, Danielle enjoyed a wide variety of food without restriction; but she began experiencing severe abdominal pain in her 20s that ultimately led her to totally transform her diet—cutting grains, lactose, sugar and more. As Danielle found relief in this approach—and realized that others with similar ailments could as well—she began compiling her recipes in an online blog ca...
Apr 18, 2024•48 min•Ep. 615
As one of the most successful creators on YouTube, Mark Rober doesn’t see what he does as a business. Instead, it’s a way to celebrate science in the most joyful way possible. While working as an engineer at NASA, he made his YouTube debut with a tutorial on how to make a gory Halloween costume with two iPads and a lot of duct tape. Over time, his videos became more elaborate, including a belly flop into a pool full of Jello, and a demo of a glitter-fart bomb to get revenge on porch pirates. Wit...
Apr 15, 2024•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 614
For decades, Shane Legg has anticipated the arrival of “artificial general intelligence” or AGI. In other words: an artificial agent that can do all the kinds of cognitive tasks that people can typically do, and possibly more... Now as the Chief AGI Scientist and a co-founder of Google DeepMind, he stands by that prediction and is calling on the world to prepare. This week on How I Built This Lab , Shane’s path to becoming an early AI expert and the work he and his team are doing to prepare for ...
Apr 11, 2024•37 min•Ep. 613
Best friends Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal started out as “comedians for Christ,” and grew their partnership into one of the most successful YouTube platforms in existence. During college they created silly videos and songs for Christian events, and later built a following on YouTube before most people knew what it was. After struggling to find stardom in Hollywood, they continued to build a presence on YouTube: sampling punishingly hot peppers, writing ear-wormy songs about random things, show...
Apr 08, 2024•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 612
Best-selling author and economics professor Renée Mauborgne thinks that too many entrepreneurs focus on the wrong things—consumed with making their companies outperform one another as they fight for a greater share of a crowded market space. But what if entrepreneurs focused on creating new markets instead of fighting over old ones? This week on How I Built This Lab, Renée shares insights from her Blue Ocean Strategy series to help founders crack open new opportunities. Plus, what is non-disrupt...
Apr 04, 2024•29 min•Ep. 611
Whole30 began as a dietary experiment: For 30 days, Melissa Urban went without grains, dairy, legumes, alcohol and added sugar. She was trying to address several health problems, and the results were so extraordinary that she decided to share the diet with others. What followed was a blog, a series of seminars, a best-selling book and eventually a wide-ranging wellness brand that’s helped millions of people identify the best diet for their own body. But in 2015, Melissa had to rethink everything...
Apr 01, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 610
The popular science fiction idea of beaming someone instantly to another location was part of David Nussbaum’s inspiration to design a “holoportation box.” His company, Proto, invented a device the size of a telephone booth that projects a hologram-type image so realistic it appears someone is standing inside... This week on How I Built This Lab, how Proto’s technology is used today to virtually transport professors, doctors, speakers, and celebrities to classrooms, hospitals, and events around ...
Mar 28, 2024•35 min•Ep. 609
Isaac Larian moved from Iran to Los Angeles at age 17 with just a few hundred dollars, and went on to build one of the biggest toy companies in the world. Along the way, he took on Barbie with a wildly successful line of punky dolls called Bratz — a success that touched off an epic legal battle with Mattel. Today, at age 70, Isaac is still the CEO of MGA Entertainment, and says he still has the fighter’s instinct that he learned in the slums of Tehran. This episode was produced by Alex Cheng wit...
Mar 25, 2024•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 608
“Growth is not about the genius you possess—it’s about the character you develop.” That’s what organizational psychologist and podcast host Adam Grant believes, and he offers a new framework on how we can elevate ourselves and others in his latest book, Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things . This week on How I Built This Lab , insights on what great entrepreneurs have in common and the steps anyone can take to develop these skills. Plus, redesigning workplace systems to fost...
Mar 21, 2024•37 min•Ep. 607
